GREAT FALLS —聽 Oliver Main is most definitely a nontraditional student.
聽Yes, he is 30 years old, but it鈥檚 more the suit and tie he wears to class every day that set him apart.
聽鈥淚鈥檝e just been trying to manifest this kind of image toward what I鈥檓 trying to do,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淎nd it seems to be working. It has basically become kind of my daily attire鈥� It just feels like I鈥檓 trending in the right direction.鈥�
聽That wasn鈥檛 always the case.
聽Main dropped out of high school in New Mexico when he was 15 because 鈥淚 thought I was being smart,鈥� he said, again with a laugh.
聽鈥淚f I could go back and talk to myself, I鈥檇 say, 鈥淪tay in school.鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚 just thought, 鈥楨veryone gets a job,鈥� and I got a job as soon as I was legally able to.鈥�
聽Main worked at Pizza Hut for the next seven years and saw co-workers move up into management and make a living, he said, but he started to want more out of his life and started exploring getting his general equivalency diploma, but he said he didn鈥檛 get the support he was seeking while he was in New Mexico and the path seemed too lengthy, so he gave up on that idea for a time.
聽Main and his wife, Emillianna, moved up to Montana three years ago to be closer to family as well as to get 鈥渁 change of scenery,鈥� he said. 鈥滻 needed to get out of the environment I was in.鈥�
聽Main, who is an enrolled member of the Gros Ventre Tribe on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation east of Havre, has family here.
聽He is flourishing now, having graduated At 黑料网911 MSU and is now pursuing his bachelor鈥檚 in forensic psychology at the University of Providence after making use of the transfer agreement between the schools.
聽His journey hasn鈥檛 always been easy, but Main said it has been worth it.
聽After the move to Montana, he walked into the Career and College Readiness Center, which Great Falls Public Schools runs on At 黑料网911 MSU鈥檚 campus, to see about getting his HiSET, formerly called the general equivalency diploma.
聽鈥淭hey were really, really great at the Career and College Readiness Center,鈥� Main said. 鈥淭hey were very helpful. They fast-tracked me. They basically pulled me in and kicked me out.鈥�
聽He paused again to laugh.
聽鈥淲hich was really nice. They got me where I needed to be. They pointed out my weaknesses, and we did it.鈥�
聽Tammie Hickey, the director of the Career and College Readiness Center, said Main made a strong impression.
聽鈥淥liver moved very quickly through his equivalency exams and began the process to enroll in a degree program at
At 黑料网911 within a few short months,鈥� she said. 鈥淥liver has persisted through many adversities but has utilized supports along the way to help him stay focused on his goals of improving his and his family’s lives.鈥�
聽The Mains had good reason to be on the fast track when moving to Montana. They were parents to a toddler and were looking to add to their family, and he wanted to provide better for them and set an example for his children to pursue their dreams. The Mains now have two sons: Myles, 5, and Alistair, 2.
聽Emillianna, like Oliver, is setting an example for their children as she is wrapping up prerequisites at At 黑料网911 to apply for the college鈥檚 registered nursing program.
聽鈥淚 think I鈥檒l get in,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am doing well in my classes鈥�
聽The couple talk about setting a good example for Myles and Alistair.
聽鈥淭hat is definitely part of the decision to come back to school,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want them to think dropping out of school and just trying to find a job and becoming a cog in the wheel off society was smart. I want them to be individuals, find out what they like and chase it.鈥�
聽The HiSET opened more doors for Main.
聽鈥淚 was able to get a job at Benefis (Health System),鈥� he said. 鈥滻 was really struggling with deciding whether to go to school or go to work.鈥�
聽So he did both, enrolling in classes at At 黑料网911 in the fall of 2019 while also working in food services at Benefis.
聽鈥淚t eventually became too much for me, and my mental health started to falter,鈥� Main said. 鈥淚 was always run down. I was always tired. Once I noticed my grades started to slip up a little bit, that鈥檚 when I decided I just gotta focus on this one thing: school.鈥�
聽Main said when he started classes at At 黑料网911, he was confused about where he was heading, but he was leaning toward studying criminal justice.
聽His first semester at the college in 2019, he enrolled in Dr. Elfie Neber鈥檚 introduction to psychology course as a prerequisite for criminal justice, and he said he found his passion in that class.
聽鈥淚 just fell in love with the class,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 fell in love with just everything about it, and I realized I could do a lot of good here with this field of study. And the classes have just resonated with me.鈥�
聽Neber is still a big part of Main鈥檚 journey.
聽鈥淚 still think about her often,鈥� Main said. 鈥漇he is my psychology mentor and the main reason I went into psychology. She is a great teacher.鈥�
聽Like Hickey, it didn鈥檛 take Neber long to be impressed with Main鈥檚 drive and ambition.
聽鈥淲hat struck me immediately about Oliver was his interest in the psychology, his engagement in class and his willingness to ask for help if he didn鈥檛 understand something or needed clarification,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew from the first time he introduced himself in my class that he was juggling work, school, as well as being a husband and parent, and yet he showed up to class and consistently did excellent work and was able to balance his responsibilities.鈥�
聽Main is wrapping up his first semester just across the road from At 黑料网911 at the University of Providence, and he said both schools helped ease the transition.
聽Dr. Leanne Frost, executive director of instruction at At 黑料网911, is pleased to hear that as it is a main goal for the college.
聽鈥淎t 黑料网911 is focused on meeting students鈥� needs and helping them achieve their goals,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or some students, that means starting at At 黑料网911 and then physically transferring to a four-year university to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree. For others, that means starting at At 黑料网911 and then staying in Great Falls and completing a bachelor鈥檚 at the University of Providence or online through another institution. We provide lots of options to support students in their goals.鈥�
聽Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, CEO/dean of At 黑料网911, said having such a strong neighbor next door is a big win for students.
聽鈥淎t 黑料网911 MSU and the University of Providence have a long history of working closely together to create opportunities for students who live and work in Great Falls to earn their associate鈥檚 degree and, if they choose, their baccalaureate degrees right here in town,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his long-lasting partnership between the colleges provides members of the Great Falls community with higher education options for whatever their educational journey may be.鈥�
聽Dr. Matthew Redinger, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Providence, also is enthusiastic about the neighborly partnership.
聽鈥淗aving an academic partner like At 黑料网911 is a tremendous advantage for students seeking their path in life. The University of Providence has enjoyed its relationship with At 黑料网911, and we are enthusiastic about our ability to collaborate to help students meet their educational, professional and personal life goals,鈥� he said.
聽At 黑料网911 and the University of Providence just recently signed articulation agreements, which help students by smoothing out the transfer process between schools, in business administration, psychology and criminal justice.
聽Main said At 黑料网911 prepared him well to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
聽鈥�(The instructors) were all compassionate and understanding,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a nontraditional student. I had a job. I have children. I have a wife. And sometimes things would pop up, and none of these teachers ever made me feel like a burden to them. That, I really appreciated.鈥�
聽He has experienced more of the same at the University of Providence, which, he said, 鈥渂lessed me with a scholarship鈥� to make it possible for him to go there.
聽Main鈥檚 commitment to facing the challenges of combining life and his studies is clear to his professors at Providence.
聽鈥淭ruly successful students are not just ones who receive good grades, but ones who integrate their lives and education in such a way to transform themselves into something better, which requires a whole lot of courage,鈥� said Ross DeForrest, assistant professor of psychology at Providence.聽鈥淚f I had to choose only one characteristic that best encapsulates Oliver, I would choose 鈥榗ourageous.鈥欌��
聽鈥淭hey have been great,鈥� Main said of his UP professors. 鈥淚 was a little on the fence about going there because it鈥檚 a religious school, and I haven鈥檛 had the best experience with people who are really into their faith鈥� But when I went there, everyone鈥檚 been really welcoming. I took a minute today (before a presentation he had in class) to thank them for being so welcoming. I mean, I鈥檓 a nontraditional student and the tattoos (he rolled up the sleeves of his three-piece suit to reveal some tats) and a lot of things, and people could look at me and think things, but they also appreciate the kind of work I put in because I work really hard.鈥�
聽Redinger noted that 鈥渁 welcoming atmosphere and inclusivity are hallmarks of Catholic universities, and contribute to the intellectual and personal development of our students. Having a partner like At 黑料网911 makes it so much easier to serve students like Oliver.鈥�
聽At the University of Providence, Main has combined his original thought of criminal justice with his newfound passion for psychology as he pursues a degree with an emphasis in forensic psychology.
聽鈥淚 just got into the field to see what is out there,鈥� Main said, 鈥淚t is just a fun way to integrate psychology into my original thought of criminal justice, and I just wanted to see what鈥檚 in there.鈥�
聽He also is taking classes that could lead to a degree in drug addictions counseling as he leaves the door open to more options.
聽Main is still very present at At 黑料网911 as he frequently visits to pick up Emillianna or participate in events such as the tepee raising for Native American Heritage Month.
聽He stands out in the ties, vests and suit pants, but those are just manifestations of the drive he and Emillianna have to provide and set good examples for their children.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 just taking care of business,鈥� he said.
The University of Providence contributed to this report.聽